Water kefir: Factors affecting grain growth and health‐promoting properties of the fermented beverage

Nowadays, the interest in the consumption of healthy foods has increased as well as the homemade preparation of artisanal fermented product. Water kefir is an ancient drink of uncertain origin, which has been passed down from generation to genera-tion and is currently consumed practically all over t...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Pendón, María Dolores; Bengoa, Ana Agustina; Iraporda, Carolina; Medrano, Micaela; Garrote, Graciela Liliana; Abraham, Analia Graciela
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2021
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/157235
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/157235
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:FERMENTED MILK
HEALTH BENEFITS
LACTIC ACID BACTERIA
SUGARY KEFIR
WATER KEFIR GRAIN
YEAST
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/2.11
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/2
Description
Summary:Nowadays, the interest in the consumption of healthy foods has increased as well as the homemade preparation of artisanal fermented product. Water kefir is an ancient drink of uncertain origin, which has been passed down from generation to genera-tion and is currently consumed practically all over the world. Considering the recent and extensive updates published on sugary kefir, this work aims to shed light on the scientific works that have been published so far in relation to this complex ecosys-tem. We focused our review evaluating the factors that affect the beverage microbial and chemical composition that are responsible for the health attribute of water kefir as well as the grain growth. The microbial ecosystem that constitutes the grains and the fermented consumed beverage can vary according to the fermentation conditions (time and temperature) and especially with the use of different substrates (source of sugars, additives as fruits and molasses). In this sense, the populations of microor-ganisms in the beverage as well as the metabolites that they produce varies and in consequence their health properties. Otherwise, the knowledge of the variables af-fecting grain growth are also discussed for its relevance in maintenance of the starter biomass as well as the use of dextran for technological application